Cashing in on the Valentine's Day Buzz
By Kim Airs
The blur of the holidays are over and perhaps you’re snuggled in for your long winter’s nap. But lemme tell ya, January is the one month when those of us in the adult industry catch our breath for the run up to our busiest season of the year–Valentine’s Day!
Sure, we all know it’s about loving your partner or those around us (if you’re one of the polyamorous types), and once the calendar flips from January to February, all hell breaks loose because people then realize they have only two weeks to shop for their lovers! Why not jump on the love bandwagon and get ready now to be a one-stop shopping experience for your customers?
One simple, subtle way to suggest gifts for lovers is to group products that have strong colors in their packaging. That can easily include gummies, a wide range of edibles, and anything else you can find when you put your mind (and heart) to it.
Many retail outlets group their products by brand but try displaying them by color instead. Color is a big attraction in selling, and grouping them this way may give your place a fresh look. When a staffer gets the opportunity to show customers different types of highs in different areas of your store, it can expose the customer to something they haven’t seen before or simply pass by when they come in for their regular items.
Let’s start with red. It is the color of warmth and passion, both of which are handy when you’re located in cooler climes and are gearing up for February 14th. Add candy hearts to your display––ooooh, do they have them as edibles?! Look at packaging of other cannabis products and start thinking about adding some adult products in a display that echo that color. Many times, a customer might think, “I’ve never thought of that!” A simple response can always be, “it’s never too early to be thinking about Valentine’s Day!”
Wondering what adult products are red? If you can’t think of any or don’t have any in stock, now is the time to ask your distributor for suggestions. Red isn’t a popular color for dildos but there are several little vibes out there that are the perfect color. And just imagine how many toys are pink? Zillions, I tell ya, zillions!
One of my favorites is the Little Red, an incredibly cute vibe by Natalie’s Toy Box. Everything about this can be rolled into a Valentine’s display. As for pink toys, combine the pleasures of cannabis with a handy little pink vibe, the Buzzed Higher Power bullet vibe. And who can forget one of my favorite combos of smokin’ and sex than the hot pink Vaporator? There are plenty of romance-themed gifts that can make a nice “bridge” to adult toys. Our pals at Khepher Games not only have a wide range of cannabis related products, but they have plenty of entertaining gifts to break the cold winter ice and increase intimacy.
As for the month of January, promoting consumables and accessories for recreation while staying warm inside is a no-brainer. And what do people do when they’re inside staying warm? You guessed it; as the pandemic taught us, when two people are inside together for a good reason (winter being one of them), they tend to get busy, as in, “Netflix and Chill,” as in “making whoopie.” Need I spell it out? Leading them on to the next month when Valentine’s Day is in full swing is a great marketing option that will make your store stand out from other counter-cultural outlets in your market. Just go for it and bring love into your stores!
